Stop the violence

Amnesty International has long been an advocate for human rights world-wide and is now taking on what might be its biggest challenge - violence against women.

Today is International Women's Day. The first National Women's Day in America was observed in 1909. International Women's Day began in 1911.

Irene Khan, secretary general of Amnesty International, announced March 3 the organization's global campaign to stop violence against women. She called it a cancer eating away the core of every society in every country of the world and said it is a human rights atrocity.

Amnesty International points to every country in the world for failing to protect women in their own homes.

Actor Patrick Stewart, an Amnesty International member, helped launch Amnesty's campaign and called the way the entertainment industry portrayed violence against women as extremely irresponsible. In a published interview, he condemned films that perpetuate and stereotype the violent attitudes of men to women. He called on movie makers and entertainers to stop portraying violence against women.

Domestic violence has long been society's dark secret that must be taken seriously. When violence in homes ends, life for children will improve. Hollywood must be a factor in ending the violence and not only in movies: Television and video games must be cleaned up as well.

Violence against women is not normal, legal nor acceptable. It cannot be tolerated or justified. It must be stopped.